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צְפַר

𐤑𐤐𐤓

tsᵉphar

H6853 noun

SILEX Entry

Root צפר to chirp (onomatopoeic), to twitter, bird-call

Definition

A bird or fowl, especially as a general term for winged creatures. In Aramaic biblical contexts, צְפַר designates any kind of bird without specifying species or type. The term encompasses both domestic and wild birds.

Semantic Range

bird, fowl, winged creature (Aramaic contexts); generic term for birds without species distinction

Root / Etymology

Root: uncertain, but likely related to the Hebrew root צפר (צפר), which denotes birds or winged creatures. The Aramaic form צְפַר corresponds to the Hebrew צִפּוֹר (tsippōr, 'bird'). The word itself is not derived from a semitic verb but is rather a nominal form referring broadly to a bird.

Historical & Contextual Notes

צְפַר appears only in Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible (Daniel, for instance) and functions as the standard term for 'bird' in those passages, directly replacing the Hebrew צִפּוֹר. In Hebrew narrative, צִפּוֹר was sometimes used specifically for small birds but often generically, whereas צְפַר in Aramaic has no such subtlety and remains strictly generic. During the monarchic and exilic periods, this word does not appear in Hebrew inscriptions or literature; it emerges in later Israelite and diaspora communities for whom Aramaic was increasingly spoken. English translations regularly render the term as 'bird' or 'fowl'; however, nuances regarding bird size or type, present in Hebrew, are not evident here. Later, in Jewish literature composed in Aramaic, צְפַר continues to function generically without reference to species, contrasting with more specific terms in other Semitic languages.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) corresponding to צִפּוֹר; a bird.; bird.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

צפר (ts-p-r) — chirping, twittering, bird-call

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6691 צוֹפַר Tsophar
H6833 צִפּוֹר the chirping bird
H6834 צִפּוֹר Tsippôr
H6841 צְפִיר and he-goats of
H6842 צָפִיר prancing male goat

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6853-02 צִפֲּרֵ֣י tsiparey ANcfpc birds-of birds of 2
H6853-03 וְ/צִפְּרַיָּ֖/א vetsiperaya AC/Ncfpd/Td and-the-birds the birds 1
H6853-01 כְ/צִפְּרִֽין khetsiperin AR/Ncfpa like-birds like birds 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6853-02 Daniel 4:9 צִפֲּרֵ֣י tsiparey ANcfpc birds-of birds of
H6853-03 Daniel 4:11 וְ/צִפְּרַיָּ֖/א vetsiperaya AC/Ncfpd/Td and-the-birds the birds
H6853-02 Daniel 4:18 צִפֲּרֵ֥י tsiparey ANcfpc birds-of birds of
H6853-01 Daniel 4:30 כְ/צִפְּרִֽין khetsiperin AR/Ncfpa like-birds like birds
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